James Francis Lindsay, 3rd Baron Lindsay of Birker (born 29 January 1945), is an Australian former diplomat.
Background and education
Lindsay is the only son of
Michael Lindsay, 2nd Baron Lindsay of Birker
Michael Francis Morris Lindsay, 2nd Baron Lindsay of Birker (24 February 1909 – 13 February 1994), was a British peer and academic.
Education and life in China
Lindsay was the son of Sandie and Erica Lindsay, née Storr. On his mother's si ...
, and his wife,
Hsiao Li. He was born in a hospital cave in
Yenan
Yan'an (; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi Province of China, province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers severa ...
while his parents, supporters of Chinese communist resistance fighters, were fleeing the Japanese.
He was the grandson of the Scottish academic and educationalist
. He was educated at the
University of Keele
Keele University, officially known as the University of Keele, is a Public university#United Kingdom, public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University Coll ...
and the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
, and worked as a lecturer in physics at
Tunghai University
Tunghai University (THU; ) is the oldest private university in Taiwan, established in 1955. It was founded by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA). It is located in Xitun District, Taichung, Taiwan. According to ''Tim ...
,
Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of Taiw ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, between 1967 and 1968, and as an exploration geophysicist in
Darwin,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, between 1969 and 1970.
[''Who's Who 2007: An Annual Biographical Dictionary''. London: A & C Black, 2007.]
Diplomatic career
In 1972 Lindsay entered the Australian Foreign Service and was posted in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
between 1973 and 1976, in
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
between 1980 and 1981, in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
between 1982 and 1984 and in
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
between 1987 and 1990. In 1993 he was appointed Deputy
High Commissioner to
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, a post he held until 1996, and was then Deputy High Commissioner to
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
between 1996 and 2000. He was also Deputy Permanent Representative for Australia to the
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...
from 1996 to 2000.
Lindsay succeeded his father in the barony in 1994 and took his seat in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
in July the following year. However, he lost his seat in parliament after the passing of the
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...
.
Personal life
Lord Lindsay of Birker married firstly Mary Rose, daughter of W. G. Thomas, in 1969. They had no children and were divorced in 1985. He married secondly Pamela Collett, daughter of Lon Hutchison, in 2000. This marriage is also childless.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsay of Birker, James Lindsay, 3rd Baron
1945 births
Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Australian diplomats
Australian peers
Living people
Australian expatriates in Pakistan
British politicians of Chinese descent
British people of Chinese descent
Lindsay of Birker